Health Inspectors To Check Food Booths At Arts Festival

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – The Three Rivers Arts festival is known for its food.

While the experience is not quite the same as sitting down in your favorite restaurant, food vendors still have to uphold the same strict health standards.

Steve Steingart is the chief of food safety with the Allegheny County Health Department.

He says it’s an advantage that you can see everything the food vendors do – unlike being at a restaurant where food is prepared out of your sight.

“You’re afforded the opportunity to really look into the booth,” Steingart said. “You see exactly what they’re cooking. What they’re serving, where they’re storing it.”

He says if something doesn’t look right or smell right, don’t eat it.

But most of the folks here have been doing this for years. They know the rules and how to keep the food safe.

Plus, a team of six inspectors will check and re-check everything at the roughly 20 food vendors starting Friday afternoon.

“Temperature control is very, very important and the second thing would be hand washing,” Steingart said. “We require either moist towelettes and in this case at the Three Rivers Arts Festival you’ll probably see some hand washing sinks.”